Mara: The End and Beyond
by TweetyBird98
Summary: This is an updated version of Millixme's the end and beyond. I have asked his/her permission to upgrade this. He/she wrote a very good base story and I'm very excited to upgrade and finish it. Hope you like it! Queen of Ballet
1. The Beginning

Chapter 1

We reached the beautiful mansion just as the dawn broke the sky. It was a beautiful sunrise, dazzling pink and orange, now much more radiant since my new found freedom. Sheftu seemed excited, too. When we stepped off the litter, he laid his arm protectively and gently on the wounds on my shoulders, gave a smug glance at the servant and led me into our new home. Sheftu led me up to his room to rest, for I had had a long night. I was led down a rather normal looking corridor towards the central garden. The moment I caught a small glimpse of it, I was amazed. The gardener must have liked lotuses for the blue flower was everywhere.

"This is all dedicated for you, my blue-eyed Flower," Sheftu whispered into my ear softly.

I let myself giggle a little, afraid this may all be a dream. Sheftu led me to a grand room on the North side facing the South. I had to stop and stare at the gorgeous sun that was just peeking over the horizon in full radiance.

"Love, we must tend to your wounds. The physician will be here shortly, but to linger with it dirty is never a good idea. Come and I will clean it for you."

He gave me an adoring look that pleaded with me and led me into the room. He had me sit down and drink water that a slave had brought in. He cleaned the gashes with a hurt look, but was very gentle. Just as he finished, a slave announced that the doctor had arrived. The doctor observed the gash, praised Sheftu's work, and began to apply an ointment that stung so badly it had me biting my finger.

"Love, don't bite yourself!" Sheftu slowly took my hand away with a sad expression and hugged me, careful not to disturb the doctor. When the doctor was done, I let Sheftu go and looked at the kind old man. He smiled at me and I smiled back. He asked Sheftu if he knew how to bandage me and if he did, would he like to. He was said he would let no else bandage his flower.

I fell asleep in the middle of the wrapping, I suppose, because I awakened to find myself in a blanket on a bed, with Sheftu looking lovingly at me. He smiled when I opened my eyes and kissed me. It wasn't like any of the other kisses we shared. This one was filled with love and patience. I gave a small smile, which quickly turned into a blush when my stomach gave a rather loud growl. Sheftu laughed, taking away some of the worry evident on his face. He turned around to get something and my eyes widened at the sight. It had everything I could ask for and more.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I got a little bit of everything," Sheftu said. He blushed and handed me the tray. I stared at him, with eyes glazed over, gave huge smile, and dug in. Unfortunately, my wounds didn't allow me much movement and Sheftu, watching my every movement, noticed immediately. He drew my arms back and started to feed me. Even though I have been humbled by the past few weeks, I'm still the same Mara I used to be. I felt a little undignified and maybe a little shy and didn't respond to the food he raised to my mouth, even though my stomach hurling profanities at my ego. My stomach won, of course.

I looked at Sheftu through narrowed eyes which slowly turned softer, snuck a kiss, and took a bite, which quickly turned into 2 and then 3 bites and then it was gone. I went to grab another, but Sheftu's gentle hands quickly stopped me just before I reached the point where it would definitely hurt. He fed me and I fed him when he moved close enough. We basically spent our brunch feeding each other. Throughout the whole meal, Sheftu always touched a part of me. Either his clean fingers running through my hair that really needed to be washed, or placing small kisses all over my face, neck, and arms. I was definitely not use to this, but that doesn't mean I wasn't enjoying it. I am.

Once we finished, I suggest we go for a walk since my stomach was bulging and I felt really stuffed. I'm definitely not use to having a full stomach. No matter how much I could eat when I was disguised as a translator for Princess Innani, I couldn't make myself suspicious since no lady of nobility ever ate that much. Sheftu happily agreed and we took a nice, cool walk in the garden. Sheftu never lifted his arm from my waist. I must have been dreaming.


	2. Nuri

Chapter 2

It has been exactly six days since I came to this house and ever since then I've felt like I was in a dream, floating about in a Utopia where nothing can hurt me. The wounds on my shoulders have gotten better. There is still quite a bit of swelling from the ointment and the opened wounds have an angry puckering line instead, but according to the physician, I am much better than when he first saw me. Thankfully, Sheftu suggested that we go to a small bath house nearby that supplies bath salts to repair skin. We are going there after he comes back from a meeting with the Pharaoh. The nobles complain saying something like, "smell like a slave once, smell like a slave forever." It angers me that they who have never even been scolded have the nerve to laugh at people who have suffered endlessly. They were intentionally antagonizing me, and doing a wonderful job of it. Of course, they didn't know they were doing so well since I only showed a smile whenever they were around.

I went for a walk and, as I went into the courtyard, I almost tripped over some stairs when I heard a loud cry a few walls down. It sounded like a child, so I quietly walked over and peeked through the small door that leads to the outside. What I saw enraged me! One of the nobles, who must have come to our house to finalize the status of things, was laying his dirty hands on a little girl not even ten years of age. I got the broom that was lying next to the door and went up to the snobby noble that had the girl against _my_ wall that was facing _my_ room, and knocked him out with a swing to his crotch. I helped the little girl up and turned around to see the noble having trouble getting up and hurling insults at me left and right.

When he did get up, I pushed the little girl behind me and got ready to have a one on one, when I saw Sheftu a few yards over watching me carefully with an amused look and slowly jogging towards us. I didn't know what he wanted me to do. Did he want me to fight him? Did he want me to stop and wait for him?

_Wait, why would I need Sheftu's help with this dirt bag?_

All fat and no brains. The fat bastard was lunging towards me before I could make up my mind. Due to instinct, my hands came up, took his forearm and twisted hard while my knee came up to meet his stomach. He fell back choking from the pain while Sheftu ran up to me. He had me in his arms before I could tell him of what I did.

"You haven't changed at all! Still as bold as ever," Sheftu said, as he kissed my forehead. I smiled and pulled back to give him a wink. Then, I felt him kicking something behind him and peeked under his arm to see the noble down again. I laughed, then suddenly remembered there was a little girl behind me.

"What's your name?" I ask gently as I checked for any injuries. It was awful. Her clothes were half torn and there were tear streaks on her face. She had an expression that just screamed 'I don't care anymore! Do whatever you want.'

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? It's okay. We took care of him," I said softly while pulling her into a warm embrace. It took her awhile to relax, but then, she hung on to me and sobbed quietly, which made me all the more sad.

"She's coming with us to the bath house right? Sheftu, please let her come. She reminds me of myself and I want to do something now that I can," I pleaded.

"Of course she can come. You don't have to ask my blue-eyed one. If you wish to have her come, she can come," he whispered. He snuck a kiss while I was carrying the little girl inside.

A servant brought in lunch and I ate with Sheftu and the little girl. We both tried to get her to talk, but all she did was nod and grunt. I was smiling, even though, in the back of my mind, a younger me had tears flowing down my face. First, she hesitated and didn't really move, but you could see she was desperately trying not to grab for the food. It amused me to see, from another's point of view, how I must've looked if I was her. I started eating quickly, since I wanted to get to the bath house. After a few minutes, with the little girl staring at me, she snuck in small bites very quickly. I chuckled as she abandoned the small bites rather quickly and resorted to simply stuffing her face.

Lunch lasted for half an hour. I got ready to go, but I couldn't find anything for the little girl to wear. She was covered in mud and grease and smelled of bread. I asked a servant for clothes for now and to go buy a few more sets later. We made our way to the bath house a few cubits down. When they said small, they meant huge. Like _ginormous. _It might be as big as the whole house, including the parts I haven't seen yet. It had part wood and part cement walls that had to be at least equally big to the building beside it. The little girl and I were amazed and stared at the high class bath house.

"Do they have small private baths for every client or something?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, of course. I'm not getting in a bath with ten other strangers," Sheftu said, shocked that I would even suggest we bathe with other people. I looked at him through narrowed eyes because of the stupidity of the situation and the fact that the girl and I didn't exactly have the most desired lives. He closed his eyes in guilt as he remembered we did not share the same childhood.

"I'm sorry Blue-Eyed One. The past days played tricks on my mind, thinking you were a goddess. I did not think long enough to register the facts." He buried his face in my neck in embarrassment from his mistake. I do understand why it happened. For the last few days, I myself have been in a daydream where I was like any other beauties. Where I didn't have any trauma in my childhood and lived a good life. Where I had everything I wanted and the past was never there.

"Let's go bathe in the bath salts now! I'm really starting to itch from not washing for a long time." I said scratching my hair. (Yes, the hair that needs to be washed still hasn't been washed.) We played around in the bath, wearing fabric undergarments in the water. We decided to get out when our stomachs were calling for food. The little girl even played around a little. She even let me wash her hair. She had beautiful hair, jet black, smooth, and long. She also has very fair skin considering she's still a child and has a petite build. She's going to break some hearts when she gets older.

We got back to the house as the sun was setting and the city was packing up to go eat dinner and go to bed. We watched as many merchants packed up their goods and headed back to their tents. I got a peek at the central market. It was huge and it was covered with small tents. I wanted to go there to see some of the things from other countries.

"Can we go to the market someday soon, my Darling," I whispered to Sheftu. He chuckled before kissing me and agreeing that, once he gets the physician to give me one more checkup and he approves of me going to the market, we will go. With the little girl, of course.

Sheftu spent the night in my room as usual, but, in the middle of the night, we heard shuffling footsteps. We were both awake and tense to catch the intruder off guard. I had my dagger at hand and Sheftu was in front of me with his dagger. He lit a small candle and walked slowly to the door. He swung the door open and had his dagger poised to kill the attacker within a second. He was about to, too, until he saw a small figure quivering and let out a small chuckle.

"My Love, I believe we have a small visitor." He stepped aside to allow me to see the small girl shivering. I let out a small giggle and opened my arms to let her come in the small circle. She ran right in, climbed into the bed, and snuggled up to me. We all laughed in delight. I was very tired from today's events. With the strange girl between Sheftu and me, I was slowly fell asleep, but not before I heard a little voice say, "My name is Nuri." I smiled at the small figure.

"And my name is Mara," I laid a small kiss on Sheftu's on arm who was already asleep and another on Nuri's forehead.

"Sleep well."


	3. The Meeting

Chapter 3

I woke up when I felt the sun on my skin from the window across the room. I slowly stretched as I got off the bed and tip-toed to the water basin. Sheftu was still asleep, but he was bound to wake up soon. Even though he was born with wealth and status, he woke up with the sun. I have a strong suspicion that his troubles with the court were much more dangerous than he let on. It has been a few weeks since we met Nuri. She is getting along well with our servant's children. She now sleeps in a small room near the garden where she can come and take walks with me around the estate. To say the house was a mansion was an understatement. It had to be twice the size of Zasha's house. I smiled to myself when I remembered the day that Sheftu took off to show me the house, which seemed odd to me because that week had been hectic and messengers were in and out of the house. I had to start training to become a housewife of a royal count, so it only made sense that the countess know her way around her own house. I'd heard that there were rumors about me amongst the nobles that I wasn't capable of being a housewife and so on. I didn't want to become the perfect wife. I had a job to do. I work for the king. Thutmose took time to come over to our house and request I work for him. He knew I wasn't truly royal to him, but I was truly loyal to Sheftu. Out of all of his subjects, the majestic king trusted Sheftu more than anyone. I was more than happy about the offer, but Sheftu was hesitant about me working for him.

"I finally have you to myself. It's my one wish. Why won't you let me have my one wish?" He pleaded. He knew I would again be in constant danger, but, dang it, I don't want to become someone like Zasha's lady. Old, fat, and unpleasant to look at anywhere. I pledged my loyalty to the king and promised to obey his commands, whether Sheftu liked it or not. Sheftu stayed cold and indifferent towards me for a week, but he's learned to deal with it. After all, it's who I am. He knew that before he married me, and he can't deny me my happiness.

I turned around when I heard the sheets rustling and met a grumpy Sheftu. I called on Nuri to bring the morning fruits and a fresh water basin. I've seen how tired Sheftu has been with all these meetings and tried to help out some, but Sheftu had managed to keep me out of it for now, using my faint wounds as an excuse. The swelling has gone down and nothing bothers me when I move. Just a patch of ugly scars on my back, even if the king likes them. I had doubted Sheftu would still want me if he sees my scars, but he persuaded me that he loves me more every time he sees my scars. Proof that I truly love him.

Today, I was to go to one of the meetings and I was excitedly looking forward to it. Too much of anything gets old fast and that includes living in paradise. At least for me. The all too nice smiles and food didn't entertain me as I thought they would.

It was close to noon and we were getting ready for the meeting. Sheftu kept quiet the whole day, working over some documents. We got into a litter and headed to the palace. The closer we got, the more nervous I got. Innani is back in Canaan. She sent me a letter a few days ago saying she was ecstatic that she was home, and she misses me, and the lady who told her stories while she wove. I sent a letter promising that, one day, I would go visit. Thinking about Innani did help calm me down a little bit. The way she would smile and that little naïve mind of hers.

Sheftu led me to a big room where there were at least a dozen men. Some looked like guards, others wore robes, and some weren't even from Egypt. I pulled on my best poker face, gathered up the courage from my gut, and sat down two seats from the Pharaoh next to Sheftu, who was next to the Pharaoh. Some of the men were outraged that I, a woman and former slave, was seated at the table, but no one said a word. Thutmose stood up with his glass of wine and welcomed me with a toast. No one dared not toast, but they didn't look happy about it. Sheftu was back to the cold, stone-faced, but playful, Sheftu he always is in court. It did scare me a little to know he wasn't very happy I was here, either. But at least he didn't want me here because he wanted to know I was completely safe. The Pharaoh decided he wanted me to spy on the rebels. Without them knowing, I was to start investigating the nobles around the table, first. And I was to start immediately.

The table was a long table that seated 11 people on each side and one at each end. His majesty sat at one end and to his right was Sheftu, myself, two armor covered beasts, and two royalties from Sudan. To his left was General Khofra, Nekonkh, two more armor covered beasts, and two members of royalty from Libya. The general next to me was very dark-skinned and had soft features, sharpened by many wounds of war. The one next to him as also dark-skinned and had soft features, but looked like he stayed behind in the wars. The Sudanese closest to me had almost soot, dark skin and was wearing white robes with a white cap. He gave me the creeps. His kin to the right was of the same color skin and was dressed the same. He creeped me out, too, but a lot less than the first one. In front of Sheftu, General Khofra was wearing multi-colored beadings, with a little bit of chest plate. Nekonkh was wearing a different pattern of it. The humongous beast next to Nekonkh had an olive skin tone and kept sneaking looks at the Pharaoh and me. The beast next to him was also olive skinned and bluntly stared right at me. You could tell that Sheftu was throwing daggers at him. The Libyan royals were ark-skinned and wore black robes with black vests over them. They looked so alike, they must be brothers. I nonchalantly looked them over and memorized their faces.

Through the meeting, Thutmose was talking about the honor of having some of the most important people of the neighboring nations sitting with him and that he hoped they would become good friends. When his speech was done and I had looked the guests over, Sheftu slowly grabbed my hand under the table. He gently rubbed his thumb over my fingers. We had a small meal brought in by the servants. I flirted with a few of the royals before going to Nekonkh. He whispered that he was to meet me behind the small garden that used to be in the chamber where Innani had lived. He tried describing the garden afraid that I would mistake the meeting place, but I stopped him and gave him a coy smile. I felt Sheftu come up behind me and envelope me into a hug, chest to back. I winked at Nekonkh and the three of us went to say goodnight to the Pharaoh.

We said goodnight to each other and walked in different directions, Sheftu and I walked towards the main gate, while Nekonkh walked towards the army chambers. When we were outside, I had Sheftu get on the litter and go home so that the guest thought both of us went home. He put up a fight about it, but I convinced him that I would be with Nekonkh and I could take care of myself. I pushed him in before he had a chance to reply and hurried the driver. I snuck back in and exchanged clothes with the servant waiting for me in the back of the courtyard. I walked in the open and looked down so that these blue eyes of mine didn't get caught in the moonlight. I saw Nekonkh hiding in the shadows near the doors of the servant's quarters. I went and opened the door to the room and he slipped in a small door in the shadows. We met up in the room in the dark and he slipped me the information on all of the guests I saw today. I was to, somehow, get their real motives. Either trying to take advantage of the Pharaoh and the nation or siding with the rebels. I planned to get to know their ladies if they had one and become a family friend or something. If they didn't have wives, I would have to flirt and flirt hard. Nekonkh and I talked some about how life had been treating us. Nekonkh was about as burdened as Sheftu with the documents and trying to keep the rebels at a minimum. I wished him luck in his duties and slipped out and into a wagon that passed by our house's backyard.

I slowly crept into the house and was met by a rather upset Sheftu. I laughed sheepishly and walked to the water basin to wash up. As I was cleaning my face, I felt his arms wrap around me and his lips at my neck and shoulders where some of the scars were peeking out.

"Please be careful. For me," he whispered in my ear

"Of course. This is my life we're talking about." I giggled as he swept me up and carried me to our bed. (We may or may not have had a make out session before we went to bed ;) )

**Hey, guys! I just wanted to tell you that I'm editing a piece of fanfiction, A Dancer's Life, on . It's a story about 1D+a girl. Come check it out! Thanks for the views and review.**


	4. The Nobles

Chapter 4

I began my research on the warriors first. The two generals next to me were from Alexandria, a big city near the Mediterranean Sea. They had a huge marine military and were on friendly terms with lots of other countries around the Mediterranean. The one closest to me was named Hondo, meaning War. He was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family and was adopted by his father's brother. He was treated cruelly, his cousins taunting him, and he grew up to be very violent. He was taught to fight at a young age and he excelled at it. He was a soldier in the marines and was recognized as a warrior when he caught the attention of the general. He is married to the daughter of the general, but stays far away from her.

The warrior next to him was name Gahiji, meaning Hunter. From the information given, he was a healthy young boy and lived up to his name, eager to hunt with his father. It was said that he was a cheerful and happy child until his mother died, and his father brought home a new mother. She took on the role perfectly, but Gahiji refused to respect her. He came to despise his family and he worked his hardest to the top. His father was a governor in a small city and seemed to have lots of influential friends who were able to help Gahiji get positions. He was a smart boy, excelling in education, and made great strategies. He was handpicked from a group of students to work for the general, as the old general is now bedridden. He is still single and shows little interest for woman, but is famous for sneaking pretty mistresses into his room.

_He's going to be an easy target_

The Sudanese that scared the freak out of me is called Runihura, meaning Destroyer. It's said he was just a normal guy. He scared a lot of people, but stayed out of people's way. He had an aura around him that scared people away and he had bad rumors going around about him. He was born of very high class. The son of the king of Sudan. He was the second-born. The first-born was killed a few years ago just before he was crowned. That got to talking about Runihura being the murderer. The first-born was almost as creepy as the second, but he was a little slow.

The other Sudanese next to him was his distant cousin, although they were often thought to be brothers. His name is Panhasi, meaning Barbarian. He is the son of a rich landlord who controls more than half of the capital. He has a wife and a son, but has many other mistresses who live in the same house. He bore three illegitimate sons and two illegitimate daughters. He is reaching the age of thirty-five, even though you could never tell.

The beasts that were eyeing me are General Khofra's best students. They excelled in military fights and strategic planning. The one that was sneaking glances is named Tau, and the one that was bluntly staring is called Thabit. They've been all around Africa and Southern Europe. They were both single and young, barely twenty-eight, and eligible bachelors. They were said to be very open in courting any type of woman. They're hard headed and believed themselves to be the best.

_And I have every intention of using that disadvantage to its extent. _

The Libyans were indeed brothers and each ruled a different part of Libya. The one that was next to Thabit is called Iah, and the one next to him is called Ialu. Their parents fell in love under the moonlight and the brothers lived a good life, in happiness and wealth. Even though they themselves were mere puppets for the priests.

_Naïve and rich…never a good combination. _

After looking over the information all morning and into the afternoon, I got sick of Sheftu glaring a hole in my back from the table when he was supposed to be writing a report to the Pharaoh. I promptly got up and walked out the door to take a small walk. I felt the stare of my loved one still lingering. I know this is hard on him. Of course, I know. He hasn't failed to mention the dangers of this job, many times a day, trying to convince me to quit. I understand that I'm in great danger, exposing myself to everyone. Aside from keeping an eye on the nobles at the table, I am to go undercover with a group of spies and some of the soldiers in the countryside, and comb through all the clubs and secret alleyways for anyone who was forming a rebel group. Not just for the safety of the Pharaoh, but the citizens, also, because the fighting ones aren't only the army, but the people, too.

In a few weeks, there will be a journey across Egypt to patrol the landlords, to catch any illegal killing sprees by some rich snob, and, my job, is to go and enter some secret joints that are either rebelling against the landlord or planning on a big project. I am only to join and look. Never enter in any of the attacks. The Pharaoh demanded that I stay out of any form of physical harm.

_No doubt a plead from Sheftu. Dear goodness, I married a good one. _

Now that I think about it, there's a chance we'll go by Menfe. I'll check up on my former master, and, if I get the chance, sweat him a little. After all, a former slave who was beaten and ridiculed years ago and is now a countess seeking a small revenge, will have his clothing covered behind shaking.


	5. The Dream

Chapter 5

"_No! Please! Don't hurt me!" I screamed from the dirty ground of a courtyard back in Menfe. I was in my best gown that Sheftu had bought for me with colorful ornaments in my hair, but I was covered in mud. I looked to my right and saw Teta and all the other slaves tied to posts with their hands behind them letting their chest stand out as Zasha's friends beat them. I tried my best to look away. I really did! But I couldn't peel my eyes away from them. I could feel the bile rising in my throat. I glared up at my former owner. I thought I was through with the life as someone else's property, but Zasha obviously had other ideas. He was holding a whip in his hands and looked at me like I was something to eat. "Where is Sheftu?!" He didn't even flinch at my shout. "He's gone my Sweet. He sold you when you and your group came here. Don't tell me you forgot?" Zasha sneered. _

"_No! He would never do that!"_

"_Oh, yes he would."_

_I couldn't do anything. It was like I blanked out and all my insecurities came running back. I felt the gust of wind as his whip came into contact with my skin. I definitely felt the pain, but I didn't move from my frozen spot. _

"_Mara! Wake up! Please! I beg you! Don't torment me like this!" I heard a faint whisper that sounded louder as time went on and the darkness embraced me._

I awakened with a jolt and looked around for the slaves or the nobles beating them or even the dirty ground, but I found only silk under me and a warm body enclosing me and rocking me side to side. I finally shot completely out of my dream when I heard Nuri crying. I looked up to see Sheftu holding me tightly with my head right under his chin. My body was in a cold sweat. The sun was shining down from the window and I remembered everything. From the meeting a few days ago to looking up information on all the guests around the table to getting Nuri to open up a little more about her past and how she and her mother were bought as a pair and were with a good family before the owner passed away and the owner's son got his hands on them. _"He's gone my Sweet. He sold you when you and your group came here. Don't tell me you forgot?" _Osiris!

I felt my body quickly pushing Sheftu away from me and balling up into fetal position. I felt Nuri and his hands on me, but my body shook them off. My body was rejecting their affection.

_No! Don't do that! They'll misunderstand!_

"I'm sorry. Just give me a few minutes," I whispered and turned away from their defeated faces. I scolded myself for letting my instincts get to me again. That can get you killed! Or even worse, saving yourself, but hurting others. Like what I'm doing now! Osiris!

I slowly got my arms and legs to unfold and let my legs dangle from the bed. I still couldn't look at their faces, knowing they'll be mad. I felt Sheftu's fingers on my chin, slowly bringing my face up to look at him. I saw confusion and hurt in his eyes.

"What did you dream, that had you screaming and thrashing one moment and deadly still the next?!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nuri wipe her eyes and look up at my blue ones demanding an answer.

"I…I just saw my past mixed with my future. That's all."

"Your past as a slave mixed with you future as a countess? I'm afraid I don't understand."

"No, not my future as a countess, my future on the jour—nothing it's just a weird dream. Must have been from looking at all of that information last night." I felt my panic seep into my words as I went on talking about how looking at depressing lives of the nobles in our history makes me thing weird thoughts. I was desperately trying to make up for that mess up about the journey being any kind of danger. Of course, with Sheftu so against me going anywhere where I might die anytime, he's careful to think of any excuse to make me stay with him and me not letting up him anxious, grumpy, and much easier to scare. Even if I tripped and fell, he would not say anything in front of his guests or servants, but he would have a doctor over later that evening.

"Did you just say that you saw yourself in the future on this mission being beaten as a slave?!" He started panicking with the image I gave him. I tried my best to stop him from thinking more about it, but it was no use. He was getting ready to go out and you can guess where he was going.

"Nuri, let Irenamon know that I want my horse ready as soon as possible." I got up and blocked the door and tugged Nuri back as I walked to Sheftu.

"Sheftu, it's only a dream. I was just thinking too much about going back during the mission. My mind is working on overload. I'll just rest for a few days and get to know some of the nobles and make sure my mind doesn't wander off near Menfe and it'll be fine. And Menfe isn't the first stop. We are going to all the cities south of here first and then traveling to Menfe." The love of my life did not look amused with my reasoning. He gave me a dry look, pushed me back, and made his way to the door. He was about to call out for the old servant, but I quickly muffled him by covering his mouth before he could order anyone. I made sure to give Nuri a warning look to make sure she wouldn't run off. She saw my warning and backed off.

"So I give crappy excuses, but, honestly, it's just a dream and even if you could get His Majesty to reconsider my position on this mission, you cannot stop me from going."

"Then, I will tie you up and have the boat go without you!" He threatened as he turned to look at me.

"You and I both know I am not a force to be reckoned with. Even if you tie me up and guard me all day and all night, I will still be able to escape!"

"We will see about your abilities when try after you are tied up this very day!" He ran out the door and disappeared into the trees. A few moments later, I heard galloping.

_Today is going to be a long day._

I had Irenamon get me a horse. I thought of ways of keeping my job as I galloped toward Sheftu.

As I reached the gates, I took out the badge His Highness gave me and flashed my blue eyes. They let me right in. I slowly jogged towards His Majesty's chambers. I heard the maids gossiping about a handsome young man rushing to His Majesty's chambers. I smoothed out my gown as I walked up and knocked.

"Mara, you may come in," I heard the deep voice of the ruler announce. If you knew Sheftu for a while, you would know he's rather protective of his family and tends to overreact…I ignored Sheftu's glare as I greeted the new pharaoh and went to sit on the small cushion he offered to me. I looked up at Sheftu with a warning 'don't mess with me' and Sheftu shot it right back, just colder and much more determined. Too bad I knew this would not end in his favor. I'm an experienced spy, I'm female, and I'm tough…that's enough reason to keep me on the mission.

"Your Majesty, I'm guessing your count has been trying to convince you to have me off the mission just now. Am I right?" I played coy, ignoring Sheftu completely and treating him coldly.

"You are right. Although he has asked many times before, I am still reluctant to let you off this mission." I smiled to myself.

"Of course. I am the best you have. None of the brutes have enough experience to have men spill their every secret with a few words. All muscle and no brains. Too bad the count come with us, seeing as the country needs him to help you lead. He could have replaced me, but I guess it's just not possible and I have every intention of finishing my job at the year end mark with a full report every season."

"I apologize Sheftu, but I cannot fulfill your wish on this subject. I will allow small visits, of course. You are, after all, a young couple. I do not wish to continue on with this. Leave! I will have some more documents for you later. And Mara, you are to start interacting with the nobles now. I'm sure you have read all the information given."

"Yes, Your Majesty." I stood up straighter and dragged a reluctant Sheftu out the door. The pharaoh prepared a carriage for our ride back. It was dead silent in the carriage, neither of us spoke a word, but Sheftu still held my hand and helped me out of the carriage.

_He's so adorable!_

All throughout the evening, he didn't say a word to me, but held my hand or stayed close. Everyone found it weird, but I found it rather cute. Later that night, after I got ready for bed, Sheftu was already in and when I climbed in, I was pulled down to him and squished into the corner between the wall and my Sheftu's chest. I realized we were not moving from this position anytime soon. It's so like him to keep it inside and cuddle me in a corner with him as my protector. It was unnecessary, but comforting all the same.


	6. Plans

Chapter 6

I awakened to Sheftu softly breathing near my ears just in time to see the beautiful sunrise. I tried to get up, but felt restriction. I looked down to see a pair of tanned arms circled around my waist, fingers intertwined, insuring I would not leave without waking him. His sleeping face was just too handsome and I wanted him to stay in the peaceful sanctuary, knowing that once he's awake, he will start with the act. I knew people of that nature, acting happy to cover up whatever they wanted hidden. I softly caressed his face, but stopped when I felt him fidget and quickly slid upwards towards the headrest and out of his warm embrace. I had a job to do! And I'll be damned if I mess up this one!

I dressed up in my fairly expensive, soft blue gown that was a few shades duller than my eyes, a floral headband, some ornaments, bracelets, earrings, and a simple necklace that reminded me of the one I've had since I was baby, but is still hidden in a small hole in the kitchen in Menfe. I wore it as a replacement until I do get to Menfe and I go to visit a special friend of mine. I put on the leather slippers that feel extremely uncomfortable and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. As I was walking through the garden, I saw Nuri coming my way with a breakfast tray. I offered for her to have breakfast with me, but she refused saying something ridiculous about her being a mere slave. I reprimanded her, reminding her that I, too, was once a slave. So we enjoyed bread and cheese in the garden. I saw some new flowers that Irenamon planted. There were some new Violas and some blue-ish purple Verbena. They were beautiful and the new flowers were centered in the middle of the garden on the rims of the small fountain.

Nuri and I talked some and ate and were content with everything until I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind me. It scared me, so, without thinking, I elbowed the "attacker" in the gut and turned around in a fighting stance only to find Sheftu on the ground clutching his stomach and groaning in pain. I gasped and bent down to help him, but was instead pulled down into his embrace. I let out a small yelp that was silenced by his kiss.

"You know my Sweet Flower, there is no reason to start interacting with those nobles immediately. Why don't you wait for me to go with you tomorrow?" He added slyly as he laid butterfly kisses from my cheek to my neck. I felt Nuri excuse herself to give us some privacy.

I took a look at his innocent face with a blank look, pushed his chin away, and stood up, knowing what he was getting at. He was trying to convince me to let him come with me to the gathering at the palace so that he can keep any wandering hands and eyes off me. I suspect he is looking out for Tau and Thabit mostly, because they had a surprisingly bad reaction to my first introduction, but are still young and horny. Little did he know, I was aiming for casual conversation with those two to capture their interest and, hopefully, change their minds. Also, to make sure they feel like I'm playing hard to get when I perk their interest, but most importantly I'm going for Gahji's behind. A sure way to seduce a man like him is to act mysterious and innocent at the same time.

_This is going to be so much fun._

I could tell Gahji had no interest in the fat and vain noblewoman his family forced him to marry. He looked at the woman like he looked at food. You can choose and get tired easily, but you still need them to survive. He paid attention to females, but his knowledge created a big ego that told him he's better than everyone else. Someone's got to knock him off his pedestal and pique his interest, but still feel honorable and that, of course, will be done by yours truly. My plan was to act all innocent and friendly with Tau and Thabit, but show Gahji a mischievous side to amuse him with my act. I will act arrogant, but childlike and mysterious/cold to confuse him and make him pay attention to me. Like a good riddle.

Hondo, Gahji, Tau, and Thabit are among the group going on the mission. The nobles and royalty will be going back to their homes for the moment until they meet again at the year's mark. Nekonkh will be escorting us to our destinations, but will not go to any of the events we were assigned to since he is known throughout the cities he has visited.

"There's no need to be cautious of me being unfaithful, my Love. You are who I adore most, but this a job I must do." I said cunningly as I glazed my eyes and seemingly dazzle the love of my life who tried hard to compose himself after he let his guard down.

"Bu-"

"Alone." I cut in before he made up any excuses. He's so cute when he's like this. I let my ego sky rocket knowing he's only this childlike in front of me.

I gave him the breakfast tray, kissed him good-bye, and got into the carriage with his help.

Let the games begin.


	7. The Attack

Chapter 7

I stepped down from the carriage with the help of young servant from the palace and slowly walked towards the main hall where the meeting was about to begin. We are going to go over the groups in the big city of Luxor first. There is a lord there who seems to have an interest of recruiting beggars and thieves to act as his own play thing. The group of beggars and thieves terrorize the town and control most of the imports and out ports. It's Tau's and my job to act as potential business partners, and siblings, to catch an interest in the rebellion and contribute. We are to record evidence which can bring Benipe (the lord) to trial. We have a limited amount of time to find the evidence without exposing our identities since we don't have a reputation as businessmen near Thebes. Most likely, after a week or two, they'll get suspicious and try to find information on us. It's a bad idea to use me since the throne was overturned not too long ago and not a lot of people have blue eyes. Apparently, my blue eyes are very popular story material. The kids have been told of the glorious blue orbs of a beautiful maiden who overturned Hatshepsut.

"What if I were to act as if I'm blind? I will cover my eyes with a thin darkened cloth, so they'll be less suspicious of me. With that, I can overhear things when they let their guard down. Also, they can't see the color of my eyes."

"... Actually that is a good idea. The thing is how a pair of siblings can become big business partners if one of them is blind?" Thabit questioned mocking my intelligence.

"I would be the brain and Tau can be the body. I give orders and Tau commands our workers. I think it would fit us perfectly, don't you think?" I said, mocking their abilities to be anything more of use then just a puppet with muscles. I gave Tau a small smile and he gave an undignified snort and ignored me. I narrowed my eyes and gave a sly smile. This is so much better then listening to old women gossip in our garden. The plan is going perfectly. I can see Gahiji smirking at me to my right. I was invited to learn more about Tau and Thabit since I'm working with them for now. This amused me to no end. The two soldiers kept quiet in front of the king and accepted bitterly, while glaring daggers in my direction. I gave them a big smile and pulled off a 'I'm going to give you hell' look. I glanced at Gahiji to see if he was interested in me yet. I heard he had the guts to lure the minister's wife out on the night he arrived and rumors have been going around.

"I think this would be a perfect chance to have a dinner gathering to familiarize ourselves with our partners. Luxor is not the only destination." Gahiji insisted we have the dinner at his current place, since the dinner was not formal and his place was closest to the central.

"And of course those attending can bring a date." I could feel his stare on my face as I kept staring down the sworn brothers. Teasing them is so much fun. We went back to memorizing exactly how we're going to act and then working on the emotions behind them later on. But we couldn't decide on how Tau should take to me being the real boss. There were 2 choices. He can either hate me, but still listen to me even if I do act blind, or adore me and is completely loyal. If he acts like he hates me (which won't be hard), he can maybe find out if they're planning any kind of massacres. If he acts like he adores me and is loyal, we'll be much easier to trust. If they wanted to threaten us, they can use me as hostage without knowing I can kick serious ass. (Sheftu is definitely not getting any information on the projects. Imagine the tantrum he would kick). We're choosing one after we decide to either hate each other, or tolerate each other, or even be friends.

I got home just as the sun was setting, I had a long day. We went over some more locations first is Luxor then Karnak, Abydos, Saqqara, Memphis, Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria. After that, it's the year end mark and we come back to Thebes and this mission would be over. His majesty would give Sheftu errands, so he can meet up with me in different places, but it would only last a few days since His Majesty needs Sheftu with him. He knows Sheftu is going to be distracted with me gone, but he also knows Sheftu cares about the king as much as he cares about his needs and comforts.

We spent a few days getting our stuff together, packing necessities, books, and clothes. I have been spending a lot of time with Tau and Thabit under His Majesty's orders. You can tell by the look on Sheftu's face, he is not happy. I found out a lot about Tau and Thabit as I talked to them. They did refuse to talk to me for the first few days, but I set them straight for that. This is not a game, and they're not little kids anymore. Both of them did look sincerely guilty for a while and tried to be nicer to me. I let my guard down a little, hoping for a chain reaction. The more I was in their company, the more jealous Sheftu got. He would sometimes randomly ask if I loved him in the middle of the night. It was like he wasn't sure if I was with him because of love or his wealth. Honestly, I was a little offended he thought of me so flimsily, and, truthfully, I didn't want to leave him. But I didn't want to become one of those housewives that does nothing but sit in their house. Sooner or later I'll go insane. As the days flew by, the more nervous Sheftu got. He stopped with the errands and stayed home most of the time, filing documents and signing paperwork. I stayed home too. We shared more time with each other. As it got closer to time for the mission to start, I started to feel that edge of panic creep up my spine and it scared me. Yes, I spent most of my life as a slave before meeting Sheftu, and, yes, when I started the spy work, I tried my best to stay away from him. (Even if it didn't turn out that way, I still fell in love with him). But now I feel like our times are limited, which it is! Osiris!

I promised myself I would not disappoint the king, and I will keep my promise! I will get to know the rest of the team better! And still have time for Sheftu! Who am I trying to fool, I'm only human. Tau and I got the friend part down, and read and re-read our mission. We planned out our escape and got most of our connections. He had a distant cousin who lived in Luxor who is a wealthy merchant. He can get us passes to a lot of the underground inns. Thabit had friends from Cairo. Sheftu, who is meeting up with us at most of the destinations, has many connections, seeing as he did plan the rebellion for years! Nekhonkh was friends with the sailors and major tradesmen seeing as he is one of the more recognized captains. I feel as if I'm lacking in something. I was not raised as a young lady. Yes, I know how to read and write and speak Babylonian, but other than that, I cannot offer the team anything. I felt useless, absolutely worthless. I want to prove my worth. Sheftu did not save my tan arse just to have me sit in a corner grieving my loss, well, more like lack of gain. I will not fail this assignment. That is absolute!

We set sail this afternoon. I woke up before the sun rose to get all the necessities onto the boat. Sheftu didn't help... he's in his work room sulking. It's already high noon and I already have all of my items on board. Only the assigned members of the team and some sailors are going. Sheftu, who will visit later on, will sail with us for Karnak and stay a week. The rest of the time, he will be too busy running the king's errands to be really involved in my work. I had no problem getting out of bed this morning, which does ring concern in my intuition. Sheftu has been guilting me into staying, saying things about how I did my job already and how this kind of work isn't suitable for me and blah blah blah. I didn't bother too much on them. I knew he wasn't trying to insult me about my abilities as a person. He wasn't trying to put me down about the things I can't do, what I'm not suitable for. But it still pissed me off. I didn't act on it though. I still put on that smile for him because I know this is hard for him. He lived in a world where everywhere he turned there was danger, and he finally has someone other than the prince to protect, someone he can fully protect and not just assist. It's in his blood, to feel obligated to cage me in his safe cocoon. But I'm not that woman. I can't sit still and I certainly don't fit the criteria of a good housewife. I'm wild and unexpected, surely, someday, I will settle down and live my life peacefully, but the slave in me won't let me. The slave in me wanted to be free, wanted to feel the wind my hair as I sailed on the waters and eat all kinds of food I never did and play childish games I never got to as a child. Sheftu is a lot older and much more mature then me. I'm still a kid inside. I hope he can understand that, and I hope he's willing to wait for me. Wait for me to go to him myself, then, and only then, will both of us be truly happy. I spent weeks turning to dead ends and wandering aimlessly on this subject until I concluded, the only way I will feel comfortable in my own skin is to do what I want first. If Sheftu really loves me, he will not keep happiness from me. And if sailing around Egypt is what makes me happy, then so be it. If I'm to be caged in his perfect little world, I will drive both of us insane. I know I'm being selfish, but it's important to me. I'm not trying to say that 'woe is me,' but I spent most of my life cooped up and beaten. Sheftu has had a rough life, too. He was never fully safe in the court. There was also potential dangers all around him and His Majesty. Hopefully, we will be together again, safe and healthy.

I'm a little cautious though. Like I said, this morning there was no problem. Sheftu didn't try to tie me up yet, like he promised. He didn't even fuss about me getting up so early. He just awakened with me, kissed me, and fed me breakfast. Now that I think about it, even if he didn't help me, he didn't stop me. And even if he's in his room sulking, he wasn't full out panicking. There's something wrong here.

BAAAMMMM! The sound of doors being knocked down.

I immediately put the shenti down and hid under the covers. There's someone here!

WHERE IS SHEFTU?!

He's in his study. That's 2 rooms down. He should've heard that.

WHERE IS HE?!

I am currently under the sheets and deadly still. I felt my heart speed up and you can practically smell the fear in the air. I heard mumbling and a few shuffling feet. There must be at least 3 men in here. One of them was approaching the bed. I knew I shouldn't have hid on the bed, but the closet was too small and there were drawers under the bed. I slowed my breathing and waited for them to check the other rooms. There was barely anyone here. It was the servant's days off and the slaves were off helping at the docks. Sheftu was in his study this morning and Nuri was with a servant shopping in the market for the farewell gathering this afternoon. I didn't hear Sheftu go out, but I heard 2 of the men search the whole house. They were gone for a while and the first man was in the center of the garden where he can see most clearly. The two men came back and reported that there was no one in the house. Then it donned on me.

_There is no one here._

I'm all alone in this big house with 3 strange men who were bound to be burglars.

They're coming back!

Rough shuffling can be heard from right outside the door. I started slowly panicking. My survival instinct kicked in. I had to get out of here. There has to be someone outside, and if I'm fast enough I can outrun them. I just need them all here to make sure they don't chase me from further ahead. They stood outside discussing some sort of plan. I couldn't hear them over the pounding of my heart. I had to get their attention. I had to risk it. I'll run full speed to the shore and get help.

I slowly inched my foot out towards the small table where a small water pitcher was and gently kicked it. It crashed to the floor and then there was silence. They didn't make a move. They all stood and listened, if they were closer, they could probably hear my heartbeat. I heard one of them slowly come towards the bed, where the jar was closest to. I felt his hand slowly reach towards the huddle of blankets and rip it away from me. I threw the cover to his face, wrapped it around his body, and kicked him. He was spouting instructions to his comrades who were right outside. I ducked as they tried to grab me. They were no one I knew. This wasn't a joke to scare me by Sheftu. No, this is real. I ran for the gate as fast as I could, but one of them grabbed me before I could reach the gates. I felt myself being squished under the immense weight of the man on top of me and felt a cloth cover my eyes. They tied me up and punched me a few times. I was still on the ground screaming bloody murder. I felt strong kicks to my stomach that left me breathless and felt sweet darkness engulf me.


	8. Kidnapped

Chapter 8

_"What are we gonna do with the girl? He was supposed to be here hours ago!"_

_"Don't ask me. I knew that bastard wouldn't keep his promise, but he offered us four thousand silver coins! We can't pass on something like that!"_

_"What are we going to do? We can't keep her here! Do you know who she is?"_

_"Hush! Of course, I know who she is. The blue orbed goddess. The female dog that helped that bastard take the throne."_

I didn't dare move a muscle. They were near, very near. I couldn't open my eyes and tried my best to ignore the pain in my stomach and ribs. I felt ropes tying my hands and feet together. I must've been out for hours! The crew should've started the search for me earlier. I'll leave the finding me part to them. All I need to focus on is not getting killed by these fat bastards. Osiris, it hurts!

The three of them sat at the table murmuring to themselves. It was just loud enough for me to get little bits of their conversation. Apparently, some guy hired them to come get me, provided them with my location, and what I'll be doing that day and who's going to be in the house. I wasn't going to be ransomed, though, which makes me more nervous.

_They don't have a good enough reason to keep me alive._

I peeked through my lashes and found 3 rather lean blurs at the table a few yards away from me. I couldn't see clearly and the pain in my ribs was starting to strain with every breathe I took. One of them looked my way and got up to check on me. I couldn't keep the unconscious facade, it really hurt too much. I was afraid he would kick me, that would really break my ribs, but he didn't. He hoisted me up onto a hard bed and placed the mouth of a cup to my lips. I opened my eyes and was met with dark skin and sharp features. The moment I opened my eyes, he was shocked and pulled away from me.

_They don't want me dead, someone else does, and they're willing to pay big bucks!_

The other two walked to the bed and stood at the edge, staring at me as I tried my best to keep their stare. I could tell they were slaves. They had whiplashes all over their shoulders and arms which they tried to cover with long sleeves, but took off when inside. They had that starved look in their eyes that I remember so well, the look of hunger and desperation.

"You were slaves before, am I right?"

"Young lady, that's none of your business what we were before. All you have to worry about is hope your little husband can find you in time."

"I have no worries about that. It doesn't really matter right now if they find me now. You didn't kidnap me for ransom, someone paid you to kill me. I do give you credit for waiting. God forbid something happen to me and Sheftu find you before you get your ticket to freedom. You'd all be screaming from hell."

"..."

Their faces hardened and one of them turned to go back to the table. I held onto the eyes of the person who carried me to the bed. He's probably the only willing to tell me what's going on. They probably heard that I used to be a slave, too, and that I was sold to become a spy for the king. From what I know, they had a grudge against the king... or maybe even Sheftu. The one thing I don't understand is, the king was confined to his chambers by the queen until a few months ago, so all his actions were done by his subordinates... No one should know he did anything. But that doesn't matter now. I need to get myself out of this sticky situation before I become plant food.

"Can I at least have some water?" I asked out loud, hoping for the person who carried me. They all looked at each other wearily then one of the older ones nodded. He wore a middle sleeve tunic, a pair of ripped up pants and a cloth tied up on his bald head, much as the rest of them wore, but he had scars lining up from his neck to his face. Whoever he had as a master was not merciful in the least. He ordered the one who put me to bed to give me some water. The younger slowly grabbed the bottle and walked to my side. He gave me an apologetic look and helped me up. He placed the lid at my lips. I slowly drank and laid back when I had enough. They didn't bother silencing me with a cloth since I wasn't going to scream anytime soon. They may not want to kill me, but they will if they have to. I tried starting a conversation in a low voice as not to alarm them.

"May I ask who hired you, or is it too top secret?"

"...I would tell you if I knew, but only Badru knows." He said softly.

_Aw, he's still a little baby, naive and scared. He's a rather bright child, if only he was born in a better family._

"Badru's the oldest one here, in the back, isn't he? What's your name?"

"Well, I'm not sure if telling you our names is the smartest idea." He said with a small smile.

_Smart kid._

"You're right, but don't worry about me. Even if I were to tell Sheftu of your names, he won't make a grave for any of you." They all stilled and the youngest sharply let go, so my head sharply hit the board.

"Hey, there's no need to be violent. I'm just saying it's either you or me, and I don't plan on dying. I have a promise to fulfill." The youngest stuffed the cloth back into my mouth to keep me silent.

After a few more hours, it was starting to get dark and my stomach was calling out to me. I slowly pushed the cloth out of my mouth with my tongue and spit to get the nasty taste out of my mouth.

"You're going to have to either kill me or feed me. I'm free from that wretched life and I'd like to keep those experiences in my past." They refused to acknowledge me and the youngest came to stick the cloth back into my mouth. They all laid bedding on the floor and went to sleep. I figured the only way for my stomach to not gnaw at my insides is to sleep it off. I'm already used to this, I can live through it.

I woke up with the birds chirping. I opened my eyes to see that they had already awakened and were eating.

_So they're not gonna feed me, huh._

I ignored the pain in my gut and tried hard not to barf. For a few more hours they lounged around and poked fun at me. Then, towards midday, a messenger came by and left a note from the employer. It said he'd come tonight and to leave once they've had their dinner. It also included a location to where they'd find their payment. They were all too happy for evening to come. They packed everything up and waited until their dinner was brought to them. They quickly ate and left without a single glance.

_What am I going to do now? They may not want to kill me, but the man coming does! Sheftu, hurry up!_

A few moments later, I heard shuffling of more than two pairs of feet at the door. Please, let it be on my side, Osiris. Unfortunately for me, it didn't go my way. Zasha appeared at the door. He took a look at me and sneered.

_I am so dead._

What's even better, Sahure showed up to join the fun.

_Sheftu, you might want to hurry up with the whole finding me, while I'm still breathing._

Sahure took a seat and watched as Zasha blathered a lot of nonsense I really don't need right now. He set me upright and dragged me by my hair to the floor. He prepared a wooden stick... His hitting stick.

_Bam bam bam, smack, a tug of my hair and the ripping of the expensive silk I wore._

"How is it that a disgusting filth like you can wear such fine silk, yet, my wife has only itchy fabric to cover herself?"

"Silk is too fragile for her thick and fat body, you should take that into consideration. To think you married such a piggish woman, even if her father did have a lot of money. That's low."

"SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU WENCH!" Another smack to the face and a wooden stick to my ribs. I didn't dare even acknowledge Sahure's existence. Zasha's a coward with rage, but Sahure has the ability to really kill. I took the abuse like a champion, even with my growling stomach and aching muscles. I didn't scream for help or cry, which only made the stick come down harder. My back is covered in splinters and glistening with sweat and blood. Suddenly, another messenger came in and whispered into Sahure's ears. The juggler left the room in a hurry, didn't even bother telling Zasha. Then, I knew.

_They're here._

There was a loud thud when the doors came down, but Zasha was too preoccupied to notice. By then, I was on the verge of breaking down. Nekonkh grabbed Zasha, while Sheftu ran to me. He cradled me to his chest and shouted for the physician. Through half lidded eyes, I saw Nuri glare at Zasha with disgust and hatred in her eyes.

"Get Nuri out of here, she's just a child!"

"Shh, my Love, don't speak. It'll be okay, I've got you. Garai, take Nuri out of here!" Nuri dragged her feet, still glaring at Zasha with disgust.

I felt my conscious slipping, Sahure mustn't be too far.

"Sahure was here...he lead...Zasha to m...me... he can't...be t-too far." Sheftu looked at me with determination, ordered the guards to look for the juggler, and picked me up to take me back home.

I felt myself being placed on our bed and Sheftu softly sobbing bitterly. My disappearance must have scared him.

"It's...ok, I'm...s-still alive. You ...can't ge-get rid of m...me that easily." I rasped out, I felt hot tears on my face as my Love hugged me to him. For the next few hours of the night, I was delirious with my fever and wounds that lasted a few days. Sheftu didn't leave me for a minute. I felt safe and at home even with the discomfort of the wounds and fever.

_I'm finally home._


End file.
